Linzin Week 2013
by raisedfistsurvivor
Summary: ALL RATINGS! (Including M) Prompts: Seasons, Drive, Battle, Phone-call, Drunk, Dreams, Secrets.
1. Seasons

**A/N: **Happy Linzin week guys!

* * *

Their relationship changed like the seasons; from spring, to summer, to autumn, to winter.

As children the flowers sprung out from the ground with petals in red, yellow, orange and blue. The grass and the trees developed into a vibrant green. The sun started peeking out from behind the clouds; warmth came in delightful wafts, embracing and giving life to both nature and its inhabitants the closer spring slowly crept towards summer. Republic City's resurrected noise from its winter coma could be heard all the way out to Air Temple Island, the sounds of satomobiles honking and merchants' voices occasionally along with a siren disturbing the calm, though no one living at the island cared. They simply enjoyed the life which could be heard from it, as it had been quiet or overpowered by the wind for months. Now waves from the ocean softly collided with the cliffs and the edges of the beaches in between, reminding everyone that yes, spring was finally here.

The air was suddenly filled with laughter, shrieks of joy, and once every now and then, tears, when the children abandoned their indoor games to play hide and seek in the bushes, sparring to the best of their ability and exploring each and every corner of the island, searching for treasure or caves to play in.

It was a peaceful, simple time; a part of Lin's life where no guilt and pain seemed to emerge or linger. And for that she was grateful. Looking back at her life, it was a relief, small as it might be; that her childhood had been as peaceful as her legacy and upbringing with the Chief of Police as mother could be. Of course there were injuries and murder attempts and once a try to kidnap her, but it didn't disturb the bigger picture of her first years.

Her teenage years were like the summer... Everything about it seemed golden like the sun as long as it lasted. Her mother and Sokka was happy, the city was growing bigger for each day (to Aang's pride and joy), she mastered metalbending and was accepted at the Academy where she graduated top of her class, she and Tenzin discovered their feelings for one another...The only smudge of dirt on the lens was this. She could have saved herself from so much pain and heartbreak if she'd realized what the depth of feelings she held for him would entail, before agreeing to a relationship with him. But it was too late.

Golden, but not perfect... Small dots of dust; after all, life is always fighting a war about balance, up and down, left or right. She was in her younger teenage years when Yakone roamed the city and tore it up bit by bit. He almost killed Toph after bloodbending her in City Hall the day of the trial, but she made it through; Lin made it through seeing her mother more dead than alive, the only consequence being her turning a little colder and more serious than before.

The autumn came quickly after that with its harsh weather and grey sky; Lin's colorful spectrum of life faltering as the years passed by. The more hours she worked, the more cases of murder, theft and evil actions she had to witness and investigate, the more injuries and scars she suffered, the more her mother's eyes seemed to lack their dangerous glint despite her blindness, the more lines started to appear on Aang's face, the more angry words started bouncing against the walls of her small apartment between Tenzin and herself, the more the color seemed to be drained, leaving her emotions and thoughts colored like a chessboard, but black and grey, not black and white; and a heavy weight settled on her shoulders, a painful knot taking permanent residence in the pit of her stomach. At this point she thought she could endure the season her instincts warned was yet to come, as long as she knew that spring would revive her existence once again.

As it turns out, she didn't, and neither did the love of her life. Winter came out of nowhere, when they least expected it. A northern, freezing wind ate its way with razor sharp teeth, all the way into their bones where it started to gnaw contentedly. Snow whirled furiously in every direction they tried to face for some kind of shelter or safe port with room to breathe, until one day the clouds disappeared and everything the storm left behind could be seen clearly.

The vicious massacre of their relationship, their families and themselves lay with open arms before them, to examine, to investigate. But it was too overwhelming, too much, too broken; they didn't believe they could patch it up again, didn't have the strength to return to the misery their relationship had provided the last fatal years. Nothing could save the remnants of their once so beautiful life. They saw it clearly now. Everything was a mess, the pieces spread out as if a tornado had hit them, gathering their lives and the love they once shared in its hands, and shattering them in a thousand invisible splinters, tossing them away in every direction with a volcano's strength.

The storm had claimed Lin's mother, ripping her from her side without warning, leaving a bleeding gash open in Lin's heart that barely healed, and only because she shut it off; the blood gathering in other parts of her body where it was needed. It took away the Avatar, whom was too weak to resist his illness and grief of his friend's murder, leaving Tenzin desperate, alone and aching for something Lin couldn't bear to give him. And in the aftermath, Sokka passed away in his sleep with an old, worn sweater from Toph clutched tightly to his chest. Lin's father in all aspects except blood.

It took years for her to recover, but small signs of spring started to show in her life again. Her position as Chief saved her; small rays of light sunshine in the form of pride and success kept her alive in the darkest of moments. However, she doubted she would ever experience a real summer again.


	2. Drive

**A/N: **Hot, young Linzin. Do I even need to say that this one is rated M?

* * *

Lin had hoped to win this argument, but the future didn't look bright. She was losing, big time.

Toph, blind as she was, could not drive a satomobile, but Lin had decided that she should be able to; it could come in handy one day, after all. And for her own, _private_, reasons, she would be able to go places with Tenzin without having to fly on Oogi which still made her nauseous, and on top of that, alert most of the city, including their parents. And besides, it was much faster to transport oneself with a satomobile than walk, run or fly between the tall buildings with the cables she had negotiated with her mother to get, when they also caused unnecessary damage, even if minor. Unfortunately, her idea was not appreciated.

"_Mother." _Lin groaned.

"I said no kid! What part of that sentence do you not understand? It's _two letters_, N-O!" Toph said, unconvinced and ridiculously unaffected by her daughter's pleading. She was lying on the couch, hair in a mess, dirty clothes wrinkled, feet dusty.

"You don't even have a valid argument for saying that!" Lin bit back hotly, boiling with anger inside. Her mother's unwavering calm pushed her buttons like nothing else.

If her mother refused to let her get a license, she would pull some strings down at headquarters and take care of it herself; she had a leftover favor to pull out of Officer Tji. There was an imminent chance of her mother finding out, but that risk she was willing to take. She would not let anything get between her and Tenzin's special plans, she was too frustrated. She needed to feel his weight on top of her, s_oon. _

"You need to focus on your metalbending, not kill yourself by driving those things!" Toph argued, as if she'd read her daughter's thoughts.

Lin gave up with a loud groan and stomped up the stairs to her room, slamming the door shut behind her with a loud bang. _I bet she didn't even wince. Shit. Guess I'll have to do this my way,_ she thought as her face hit the pillow.

* * *

_The next day_

"Psst!"

Tji looked up from his hunched over-position above his uniform, scanning the room cautiously. Lin had to bite back a sigh; he really wasn't the best officer on the force. Her mother's right hand, the little boy Saikhan's father, would have discovered her immediately.

"Over here!" she whispered, quite loud.

"Lin?" he questioned, still not finding her.

They were in the men's locker room, and she hid in a closet. She'd been there for over an hour, waiting for the other officers to leave the room for their homes or their shifts. Her back ached from the weird position she'd been sitting in.

When it became clear to her that Tji obviously couldn't find her, she pushed the doors open and popped her head out just to be sure no one else was in the room, before the rest of her body followed, stumbling out of the narrow space ungracefully.

The young man jumped in surprise on the bench he was sitting on, and the shoulder piece of his armor he was trying to fix fell to the floor with a scrambling noise.

"Shh!" Lin hushed angrily. She did not need the entire force finding her in this room, particularly, and most certainly _not_ _her mother_, even if she was supposed to be in City Hall.

"Sorry." He whispered, picking up his uniform. "What are you doing here?"

"You owe me a favor." She explained, walking up to him, cracking her neck on the way. She glanced down at the broken piece of equipment, and took it from his hands, observing it more closely.

"That depends. What do you need?" he asked suspiciously, standing up.

She shrugged and kept her face neutral, trying to convince him that it wasn't a big deal.

"I need you to sneak me into the Satomobile class, I want to get a license."

He tensed and stared at her. Her obvious indifference and casual tone made him feel… uneasy, about it.

"What's the catch?" he asked.

"Don't worry about that." Lin answered, her hand moving over the big buckle and sharp edges of the shoulder piece. When she handed it back to Tji, all dents were gone.

He gaped.

"How- how did you do that? I've tried to fix it for two hours!"

Lin smirked.

"Now you owe me two favors."

His eyes shot up, afraid, and a little angry. He started arguing but Lin interrupted him.

"Let's make a deal, Tji. You do this for me, and I'll consider both favors paid. Doesn't that sound fair to you?" she challenged him.

Though she was cool as ice on the outside, her heart hammered away in nervousness. _Please say yes, please say yes! _

He pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, keeping quiet while considering her offer.

"Fine." He grumbled finally, not looking up at Lin.

She couldn't stop the small smile spreading on her face.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

Impatient. That's what she was; he always told her. And she could agree to that sometimes, but she was horny and irritated and sweaty and they were alone in the woods with a broken Satomobile and Tenzin was so enticing in the narrow space with his hand on her thigh and she just _needed _to feel his skin against hers, no matter what.

He'd told her no before her kisses and her hand on his crotch had convinced him that he was equally desperate to feel her too.

Tji had successfully helped Lin get to and from headquarters the previous weeks without alerting Toph, in order to get Lin her license. Two days earlier, Lin had left the building, a paper in hand with a stamp on it, her heart beating in time with the happiness that pulsed in her body. When she'd gotten home, she had telephoned Tenzin and told him the good news. He was stunned that she'd been successful in avoiding her mother.

This morning she had followed Toph to work, who immediately had to rush off to investigate a murder that had happened over the night, leaving Lin able to lend a Satomobile without much difficulty, picking Tenzin up at the ferry, and started to drive towards a small village an hour away from Republic City. Everything had seemed as if it would go smoothly and perfect, until the Satomobile loudly had protested against moving one inch further.

Lin, trying to salvage their trip, or rather, destination, had opened up the hood to the damn thing, only having to jump away from the warm steam rising, falling on her rear in surprise.

Tenzin had started laughing, unable to control himself, and Lin, with cheeks flushing red of irritation and being laughed at, had gotten up, pulled her shirt over her head, waving the vapor away, and dived into the inside of the Satomobile's engine to fix whatever it was that had broken down.

Her attempts however, were useless, as she had no idea as to what was wrong. She could probably fix it with her bending, but since she couldn't find the source… Her mood didn't improve when she took in her surroundings and noticed that they were in the middle of a forest, no Satomobiles nor people or buildings in sight. Tenzin's never ending, calm behavior didn't help her either; it irked her so much she banged a fist against a tree and started cursing to herself quietly, which seemed to amuse Tenzin a lot.

He got up from his position on the ground, and climbed back into the front seat, and a few minutes later, Lin had done the same. There was nothing she could do anyway, their road trip was ruined. Tenzin had told her that someone eventually would come, and placed a hand on her thigh before starting to meditate. Lin had tried to do the same, really, but well, his hand on her leg, distracted her, to say the least.

And now here they were; his warm tongue in her mouth and his whole body pushing her up against the tree behind her forcefully. Her hands trying to get a grip on the robes around his neck, she gasped when he moved away to kiss along her jawline and he chuckled.

"You're always so impatient." He muttered against her cheek, one hand leaving her waist to move down into her pants unexpectedly.

When his entire hand cupped her and his thumb starting to tease her clit, her head fell back against the tree. Her eyes closed and she bit her lower lip hard, trying to swallow the throaty moans that after only a minute of his administrations wanted to escape her. _How does he do that?_

After a few minutes more, her legs tingled and felt unsteady, her fingers gripping at his collar so tightly her knuckles turned white. She wanted to protest, she had a feeling she knew where this was going, but no words came out and Tenzin eagerly continued with his movements, one finger pushing in inside of her, and she whimpered, her head this time falling forward, resting against his chest. A pressure began building between her thighs and waves of pleasure had her squirming, her knees almost buckling underneath her.

She moaned into his chest as he increased his speed, his thumb still stroking that sensitive spot; and he kissed at her neck, occasionally dragging his teeth along the skin. His left hand moved up from her waist, sneaking in under her shirt and her bindings to massage her breast, teasing a nipple softly. The muscles in her stomach tensed.

The action had her gasp louder and she could feel she was getting close. She was overwhelmed beyond words, she couldn't control herself and nothing existed but him and that indescribable feeling of pure bliss that pounded and spread in her entire body. He'd done this to her before, but this time it was different. She didn't know why and couldn't figure it out at the moment; if she opened her eyes the world was spinning so she kept them closed, trying to hold on to him the best she could.

"Don't you have anything to say?" Tenzin teased, his whisper making his lips touch her ear.

There was only a few seconds later that she reached her peak and a loud scream exploded from deep within her chest; shivers rolled up her spine, her orgasm continuing as Tenzin didn't stop moving.

Everything almost went black for her then and there, and she slumped against the tree, her strength compromised or gone all together. Tenzin quickly rearranged his hands when he noticed and caught her, Lin gripping his forearms and trying to stay on her feet as she caught her breath.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, pupils dilated, breathing heavily, her cheeks red and sweat making a few strands of hair cling to her skin. She trembled, her legs wobbly.

"What was that for?" she whispered.

He smiled down at her, caressing her cheek affectionately.

"Because I love you." he answered, leaning down to kiss her swollen lips.


	3. Battle

**A/N: **Our badass Lin isn't very badass in the hospital with broken ribs. But still, she tries.

* * *

It wasn't so much the battles themselves anymore, but the recovery afterwards. They were, honestly, a battle all on their own, and every time she found herself in a bed at the hospital, it took longer and longer before she got home, and even longer before she could go back to work. She was getting tired of it.

When she tried to sit up to adjust her blanket, a sharp pain hit her in the chest, and she gasped out loud, falling back against the pillows behind her.

Growling angrily, she bit her tongue and forced herself up in one swift motion, swinging her legs over the bed, her toes touching the cold floor. The pain burned and howled in her chest, she could feel blood gathering in her mouth and forbidden tears shot up in her eyes. One escaped and fell down her scarred cheek. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.

The room was meagerly decorated. A simple lamp in the roof, a bed, a nightstand, a chair beside a dresser… One door lead out of the room, and another to a small bathroom.

Lin was dead set on getting to the dresser where her uniform was neatly placed in the drawers. She would _not _let the pain stop her. She wanted to go home, it was horrible knowing no one would come to visit her, despite the fact that she was used to it, had been for at least 15 years, but she absolutely _hated _the beds. It felt like sleeping on the ground. And at home she could at least listen to the radio and have access to her books.

She took a deep breath, which hurt so much stars danced before her eyes, steeled herself, and then stood up. She swayed a little, but it was her two broken ribs that hurt, not her legs. She'd refused milk from the poppy, which she regretted now, but she didn't like the similarity with alcohol.

She took a small step and cringed as pain gripped her chest, but it was bearable.

It took her three minutes to walk across the room from her bed to the dresser, each step a new torture. When she finally arrived at her goal, sweat dripped from her forehead and she trembled; slowly and with stiff motions she sat down on the floor before she passed out, leaning against the piece of furniture. She panted, a result of her little adventure and the intense pain that now seemed worse than before.

_You're and idiot Beifong, _she thought. It didn't matter how much she hated the fact, she knew she wouldn't be able to get up from this position on her own, and she'd told the nurses that they could check on her in the morning. And when the Chief ordered them something, they obeyed. _Might as well get comfortable, looks like I'm going to spend the night here. _

As soon as she finished the thought, a loud knock came from the door, followed by a familiar voice.

"Lin?" Tenzin asked, worried. "Are you in there?"

A small, relieved, and grateful sigh left her lips. It would be embarrassing to let Tenzin find her like this, but it was better than sleeping on the floor all night.

"I'm here." She said loudly to make sure he heard her, and the door opened with a creak.

Tenzin walked in, expression confused when she wasn't in bed like he'd expected her to be. His eyes swept across the room until he found her on the floor only wearing pajamas shorts and bindings, her exposed ribs underneath black and purple, her hair free from bobby pins.

"Lin!" he gasped and flew forward, robes billowing behind him. "Are you alright?" he asked as he hunched at her side, placing a hand on her bare shoulder.

She looked away.

"I'm fine, I'm not a baby Tenzin." She grumbled, and he sighed.

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be in the hospital." He pointed out. "What are you doing on the floor?"

An almost invisible blush painted her cheeks pink and she shook her head, at both herself, and as an answer to his question.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" She huffed. "Are you going to help me get up or not?" she continued, eyebrows raised in challenge.

Now it was his turn to shake his head, but accepted the fact she wouldn't tell him. He knew that the only thing she wanted him to know; was what she wanted to reveal. He'd learned young that there wasn't one single point in to trying to force Lin Beifong to say something she didn't want to say. He'd learned the hard way too. He could still remember the pain from landing on his rear as a boy, a result of her anger and earthbending.

He leaned forward to grab her around her back, but before he could get a good grip, Lin distinctively winced, unable to hide it when he was so close to her.

"Watch the ribs." She groaned.

"Sorry." He muttered.

He pulled his arm back and rested on his heels, trying to figure out the least painful way to get her back to the bed.

"I'm going to carry you." he said after a minute of silence, and the little color Lin had in her face disappeared, but she nodded.

He prepared himself and then hoisted her up clumsily, and she hissed in pain, eyes screwing shut as her hands gripped his robes tightly; but once she was up, he carried her with ease to the bed, surprised that she didn't seem to weigh one kilogram more than she had done in her thirties.

He slowly lowered her down and adjusted the pillows behind her back, pulling the blanket up to her waist.

She sighed.

"Thank you." she murmured quietly, her hands shaking slightly.

"How many?" he asked her then.

She looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"How many ribs are broken?"

She pursed her lips in annoyance and was halfway through the motion of crossing her arms over her chest before she paled once again and gasped, her hands falling down into her lap. Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it for comfort, suddenly remembering that while in his arms, the faint scent of her and her hair had reached his nose. A lump formed in his throat, nostalgia stirring in his chest. He'd come just to see if she was all right, because the day she jumped off of Oogi he had promised himself that he wouldn't let her go again, ever. Now, the promise seemed as if he'd taken it a little bit too far, his body, on pure instinct, leaving her bedside to collect the only chair in the room, placing it beside her, sitting down and reaching for a cold, rough hand, in the middle of the night.

Surprised, she stared at his thumb gently rubbing her scarred skin, unable to comprehend where all this was coming from. He hadn't showed her affection like this since they were a couple. She spoke, but didn't let the softness and appreciation dwelling in her chest color her voice.

"What are you doing?" she asked coldly instead, pulling her hand back slightly, leaving his long, slender fingers resting on her thigh. Once upon a time, she trusted them. The memory rose in her throat.

He looked disappointed.

"I came to see if you were all right, I heard on the radio that something went wrong during your mission."

"I don't believe you." she deadpanned. "It's almost midnight, you should be sleeping, not sitting here holding my hand as if we were twenty again."

Tenzin had to suppress the urge of being angry at her. Why couldn't she understand that she had every right to be cared for, that he had the right to care for her, despite everything that they'd gone through? He decided that it was worth a try, trying to explain.

"Lin, I know we haven't been exactly on good terms with each other, especially before Amon, but please believe me when I say I've cared for you all these years, and still do." He said, meaning every word, grabbing her hand with both of his so she couldn't escape.

She'd been on the brink of saying something, but as his last words hung in the air between them and she registered them, her jaw clenched shut, anger suddenly burning in her eyes.

"You have no right to-" she started to say, so used to telling people she was _'fine' _and that she didn't need help, that the worlds slipped out of pure habit.

"Yes, I do. I have every right to do that. I still love you, I'm the only one you have left, and I'm done leaving you alone. I miss you."

Tenzin was shocked by his own confession, the last one full of pleading. The words just came blurting out without given permission, and it scared him immensely as to what the consequences would be, but as he repeated the words in his head, he realized they were true, and couldn't seem to regret them. Though they once were involved romantically, this time, that wasn't the case. He focused his gaze on Lin then, which seemed to have been taken by utter surprise and stared at him with big doe eyes, her full lips pouting slightly.

She was stunned. And frightened to the core.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she forced out in a whisper, not knowing if she should be angry, happy or sad.

Tenzin then realized how she must have heard it, and hurried to explain himself.

"You're my best friend Lin, and I will always love you as that. No matter what." He said, squeezing her hand for emphasis.

Lin let out a sigh of relief. It had taken her years to heal her broken heart, but the reason for her ongoing behavior, was a result of the friendship she mourned. After all was said and done, she thought they could somehow remain friends, but that wasn't the case. Work had taken up so much of her time her feelings had to be put away until she had the strength and time to deal with them, and Tenzin was busy with the Council, Pema, and their children. And now here they were, twenty years later, finally finding the time and calm to talk about it.

She didn't have the fight in her today, and decided that there was no point in salting old wounds. Besides, if he told her the truth, there were quite a few battles she didn't have to fight on her own lying ahead, like facing old age and illness. And that comforted her beyond what words could say, to know that she wouldn't be so alone anymore.

"I love you too, Airhead."


	4. Phone-call

**A/N: **The first thing I thought for this prompt was _'OMG, HOT PHONE SEX!', _but then I changed my mind because it didn't feel like something Lin and Tenzin would do... Anyway, sorry this is a short one.

* * *

She didn't recognize herself. Her entire life, she'd pictured herself as a strong, independent, talented woman. She was Lin Beifong, the daughter of Toph Beifong, a war hero, the inventor of metalbending, and the Chief of Police. She was to take the position when her famous mother decided to retire. Lin had prepared herself and studied for it her whole life. _Hah!_ _Now look at me! I'm pacing around the telephone like some desperate, shallow girl, waiting for my boyfriend to call. Pathetic! _

Irritated with herself and the idiot she somehow had found herself in a relationship with, she collapsed on her couch in pure frustration, convinced that once the phone rang, she would refuse to pick up.

For a minute she just lay there, playing with a loose thread on her tunic, until the loud screeching of the phone cut through the silence of her apartment, and she flew up, answering immediately.

"Tenzin?" she asked, her heart in her throat.

_"Hello to you to." _Tenzin's amused voice answered.

The sound of his voice effectively chased her anger and nervousness away, her own tone turning soft against her will.

"I'm sorry." She said. "How are you?"

She hadn't seen him for a whole month and the question meant much more than the simple words revealed. She needed to hear him say it first. Always him first.

_"I'm fine, but I miss you terribly. Ba Sing Se would be so much more enjoyable if you were here with me."_

"I miss you too." She said, cradling the phone closer as if it would make him appear in her kitchen. "When are you coming home?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself. _'When are you coming home?'. I really do sound incapable of living without him._

_"I hope we'll be done here in two days."_

A sigh of relief; she was afraid he would be gone another week. She hated to admit it, but he was her other half. They'd grown up together, after all. And she doubted she could ever love someone the way she loved him, and something just wasn't right when he was away. She understood why he had to go; sometimes, he couldn't deny joining Aang on his missions around the world. He needed to learn the political finesse if he wanted to succeed as a Councilman, and besides, he'd supported her before she became a cop, so it really was her turn now.

"Good."

_"How's things at work?"_

_Always the one thinking about others._

"Mother is in a horrible mood and I have very unattractive, black circles under my eyes. You're coming home to a wreck." She confessed and he laughed wholeheartedly. "Does that answer your question?"

_"Yes." _He admitted. _"Uh, Lin, I have to go, but I'll call you tomorrow night, okay?"_

"I have a late shift." She begrudgingly admitted.

_"Oh, well, then maybe we won't talk before I get home. I have to hurry, I love you!"_

"You too." She said, and then the line went dead.

She sighed, and put the telephone down slowly. It was going to be two long days, but she was so swamped at work, that maybe she wouldn't even have time to notice he was gone. At least, that's what she hoped. _Stupid love._


	5. Drunk

**A/N: **Lin, Tenzin, Kya and Bumi are up to no good.

* * *

She examined the bottle Bumi had handed over to her skeptically. It was transparent, and the liquid likewise. It smelled of alcohol, but not the kind her mother used to drink.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

Bumi grinned, wild, brown hair framing his face. His blue eyes practically sparkled with mischief and energy.

"Sake!" he happily exclaimed, snatched the bottle from her hands and took a deep sip.

"Bumi!" Tenzin shrieked, launching himself forward to grab it.

What he first thought was innocent water, turned out to be something much more serious.

Lin and Kya exploded in a fit of laughter as Tenzin and Bumi started fighting. Hurt, Tenzin glanced over his shoulder after a few heated arguments with his elder brother, to watch his girlfriend pad her tears away with the sleeve of her tunic.

"Lin!" he said, pouting like a child. "You don't approve of this, do you?"

"Tenzin." Lin said with a snort. "Relax. What's the worst that can happen?"

And when she finished her words, she smiled a dazzling smile and reached her hand out to Bumi, who without hesitation handed her the bottle.

Lin stared at it for a second, but then a determined glint lit up in her eyes, and she took a quick swig.

Pulling back, she swallowed and then gasped out loud, before she started coughing. She had tears in her eyes and her cheeks flushed red when she looked up, but still, a big smile was plastered onto her face.

"Give me that!" Kya yelled, finally able to choke her infectious laughter.

Lin gave the bottle to the older girl, who took a mouth full, downing it in seconds. When the edge of the bottle left her lips, Kya met Lin's impressed gaze and once again, they started laughing, both of them lying double folded on the floor on Air Temple Island as tears streamed down their cheeks while Bumi and Tenzin just stared at them, not knowing how to react.

Bumi turned his head to look at the young airbender beside him, who felt his brother's stare. They shared a look of, for once, complete agreement.

"Girls are weird." Bumi said, spinning a finger in a circle above one temple, the other hand protectively gripping the expensive and rare liquid tight against his chest. He'd saved it from Kya's uncaring hands when she and Lin lost complete control.

"Are they drunk?" Tenzin asked, expecting an answer from his brother. He really wasn't used to this kind of behavior and had embarrassingly little knowledge about it.

Bumi shook his head, his hair turning even messier and more tangled than before.

"Nope, but they will be if they keep drinking."

Tenzin averted his gaze, and saw his sister and girlfriend secretly whisper in each other's ears, giggling occasionally.

Tenzin instantly was on his guard. Nothing good could come out of the young womens' concoctions.

When they both sat up, Lin didn't stay in her position and crawled on her palms and knees around the small wooden table to where Tenzin sat on his cushion. When she stopped in front of him, he looked at her suspiciously.

"What are you doing?"

Lin looked down at her lap, blushing, he realized, and then up at her boyfriend through her long, dark lashes. Tenzin suddenly had to swallow, and his heart started thumping wildly in his chest.

Lin leaned up to him then, and her faint scent hit him. She smelled of spring roses, and Tenzin figured she must have used some kind of perfume. It warmed his heart that she must have done it only for him. So trapped in his own thoughts, he came back to life when her hot breath tickled against his sensitive neck and she whispered:

"Come with me."

Mesmerized by the light in her green eyes, her smell, her pink cheeks, full lips and soft hand that tugged at his, he stood up and helped her do the same without protesting, without saying a word.

She kept her hold on his hand and walked towards the hallway, leaving the living room. Tenzin, too focused on not tripping over his own feet in sudden nervousness, could faintly hear his siblings cheer, whistle and scream encouraging words behind him and Lin as they left the room.

They continued down the wooden hall until they reached the double doors that lead outside, and he followed her out on the porch, but she didn't stop there.

They walked out onto the courtyard, and then continued through the training grounds. Tenzin started to wonder where they were going, until they reached the small forest that preoccupied the east side of the island. There, Lin let go of his hand and continued in through the bushes. He hesitated, not liking that he didn't know why all of this was happening, but then he heard Lin's voice.

"Are you coming?"

He couldn't see her anymore, so he followed her voice and soon enough stepped through the undergrowth, finding himself in a clearing surrounded by birches. Lin was standing in the middle of it, her long black hair falling down her back, her porcelain skin even whiter when it was hit by moonshine. She panted slightly from their walk, her eyes big, pupils dilated. When Tenzin hesitated once again, she shook her head and walked up to him until she could lay her arms around his neck and he instinctively put his hands on her hips in return, keeping her in place. She reached up on her tiptoes, and then her lips softly brushed against his.

He angled his head so their kiss could deepen, and after a few caresses, her tongue passed by his lower lip, an invitation. He pulled her closer, one hand leaving her slim waist to grip her hair on the back of her head.

They'd come this far before when their emotions were let free in the shelter of darkness and away from prying eyes, but in the back of his mind, he had a feeling something about tonight would be special.

Lin's mouth opened so that his tongue could slip in, and they eagerly explored each other fully for the first time, heat starting to spread in their bodies and lower parts. After a minute, Tenzin had to pull back to gasp and rested his chin on Lin's forehead while she breathed in and out deeply under his, now clutching the robes on his chest tightly with her hands.

When she moved slightly to look up at him, he pressed a quick kiss on her mouth, and then they just locked eyes, and stared at each other for several minutes, comfortable in their embrace.

The leaves on the trees rustled in the warm night breeze that swept in over the clearing, and they both looked up at Yue and her stars.

"I love you." Tenzin said out of nowhere, and for once, Lin didn't wince, stiffen, or pull away from his arms.

Instead, she looked up at him once again, and stared at his mouth until he leaned down slightly so she could reach up and press her mouth against his.

That summer night, Tenzin realized he didn't need to hear her say it back. She didn't need to; it was there in everything she did with him, for him. It was there in her kisses, movements and the way her pale, long fingers traced the arrow on top of his head. It was there in the way she flicked the clasp at his collar open, the way she traced his abdomen with her hands, the way she let his hands sneak in beneath her bindings.

17 years old, on the edge of losing his virginity, Tenzin was convinced he would never love a woman the way he loved Lin.

And the truth was; he never did.


	6. Dreams

**A/N: **I like this one.

* * *

Waking up with a gasp, cold tears streaming down her face, heart beating hard against her ribs, she tried to take in her surroundings. It was pitch black in her bedroom, but she could see the contours of her wooden closet and it calmed her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

She stayed under the cover for a minute, trying to fall asleep again, but after the seconds had passed, she gave up. Sleep wouldn't come easily to her after this, she could feel it.

She hated dreaming, it often left her exhausted, resulting in her having to hide it at the station and drink too much coffee, but she hated nightmares more. Particularly this one. She always woke up because of tears streaming down her face. Either that or her own piercing screams.

She sat up against the bedframe and placed a pillow behind her lower back. She sniffled and tried to convince herself that Amon was gone; he would never come back. She would never have to live through the acute sense of loss_, that_ _way_, again, ever. She'd told herself this every night since his thumb pressed against her forehead in the rain, but now it did nothing to slow down her panicked heart. She reached a trembling finger up and stroked her scars that was wet with the salty liquid, and realized she was still crying. Her heart refused to calm down, and she shivered from the cold. Her blanket only reached up to her waist, and with only a thin lace negligee on her, her shoulders and arms were bare, easy targets of the chilly wind that rustled the curtains in the window that was slightly open.

She shuddered and stood up from the bed, tiptoeing quietly around it, hesitating as she looked out over Republic City. It was around 2 am, and the streets were dead as a graveyard. Only a few pigeonrats could be seen wandering on the sidewalk a few stories below her window. Streetlights lit up the city, which seemed to never sleep because of it. She was sure there were criminals sneaking in the black alleys downtown, and suddenly longed for haunting them, anything to not being trapped in her dark apartment.

Another breeze swept in through the window and she shut it carefully. Unfortunately, the clicking sound as she flicked the clasp woke the man in her bed up.

_Stop crying! _She scolded herself and sniffled again, drying the tears with the back of a hand.

"Lin?" a hoarse voice spoke from the bed, and she forced an apologetic smile.

"Coming." She said and left her position by the window, soon easing her way down back under the blankets.

"Were you crying?" the man mumbled; now a little more awake.

"No." she whispered. "I'm fine."

She scooted closer to her partner and he put a warm arm around her, tracing circles lightly on her back with long fingers. She nuzzled even closer, his chin resting on the crown of her head. She pressed a palm against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. She could feel his lips lightly touch her forehead and then the waterworks started going again. She felt so _small; _broken. She wasn't accustomed to feel this helpless, like she had no control. And she was s_cared, _though she knew she had no reason to be.

The more she tried to keep it in, the worse it got, and soon she sobbed loudly in the silence, hugging him hard, her arms around his neck.

"Shh, Lin, shh. I'm here." He comforted and pulled her up on top of his body entirely.

Her tears fell down her cheeks and landed on his chest, her whole body cramping with each breathless sob. She was trapped between his blanket and his body, and in a moment of inhale, she could hear and feel his heart beat against her ear.

It took ten minutes for her to start calming down, and when her breathing was back to normal and her heart beat in a steady rhythm, she looked up, lifting herself up a little on her elbows.

She looked deep into those grey eyes she knew better than her own, and traced his lips with a light finger, then his jaw, then his cheek, and then the wrinkles around his eyes. Her own face was solemn, peaceful. She tugged at his brown beard playfully and smiled a little.

"Better?" Tenzin asked, squeezing her hips affectionately.

"Yeah." She answered, lying down again.

She absentmindedly caressed his shoulders, listening to his heartbeat.

They stayed this way for a few minutes, simply listening to each other's breathing.

In the beginning, every encounter had ended in them drowning in guilt and regret and how wrong their relationship was, but as they kept coming back to one another, unable to stop themselves, the choking feelings seemed to flee from the mere sight of their love, until they were gone altogether.

That was why Tenzin was in her bed in the middle of the night. They'd proved to each other the first two months they still had a spark that quite easily developed into an unstoppable fire, but last night they'd just made dinner together (vegetarian dumplings), drinking tea, relaxing on her couch and talking about everything between heaven and earth. Late at night they went to bed, Lin being the little spoon, just like they used to when they were young. It had brought a rare smile to her face.

Of course, the thought of _Pema _left a bitter taste in her mouth and an anxious knot in her stomach, what they did _was wrong_, and she hated the thought about being the other woman more than anything, but she couldn't seem to deny Tenzin's kisses, his hands, _his… _

"Lin?" Tenzin asked as he examined a lock of her grey hair closely, interrupting her trail of thoughts.

"Mhm."

"May I ask… why were you crying?"

Lin instantly stiffened and looked up at him with her stern mask on.

"Why are you asking?" she asked, suspicious. She wasn't sure she wanted to talk about it.

Tenzin heaved a deep sigh, a familiar, nagging sensation settling in the atmosphere of the room. They were on the brink of a fight, and he instantly retreated. He didn't want to fight with her, it was the last thing they needed right now, when everything was still so fragile.

"Lin, I love you, and I'm worried about you. You _don't have to tell me_, but I want you to know that I'm here, always. I will never leave you again, and if you need to talk, you know I'm here for that too."

"I…"

She didn't know what to say. _It's so typical of him to be the good, supportive and open minded one. When is he going to realize that I'm not a weakass woman who needs rescuing? Is he still, after all these years, still trying to fit me into the frame of what he wants and thinks a woman should be like?_

_Or is he just saying that because he truly does care? _A small voice whispered in the back of her mind, resulting in her other thoughts fading away quickly. _What harm would it lead to, to tell him? What could happen?_

Even though she was reluctant to open up to him; that was one of the reasons they split up so many years ago, and to imagine a future without him, again… Well, she was even more abrasive towards that, so she decided to speak.

"I've been having… nightmares. About… Amon." She whispered; voice thick with emotion. "Every night I lose my bending, over and over again. It never stops." She finished, voice cracking; and she shuddered at the thought.

"Oh." Tenzin said, hugging her closer, kissing her cheek. "I'm so, so sorry Lin. I… I shouldn't have let you jump off of Oogi. I'll regret it-"

"Stop it." she interrupted with heat and kissed him hard to silence his next words. She held her hands on either side of his face and then released to make sure he listened to her.

"I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Do you hear me?" she said.

He stared at her for a long time, but eventually he gave her a sheepish nod.

"Good." She breathed.

Realizing abruptly that she was tired once again, she yawned, and Tenzin did the same.

"Can we please try to sleep now?" she asked softly.

"Yes." Tenzin said.

He shifted, and Lin slid down from his chest, but was still huddled up against him, her own chest and abdomen pressing against his side, his right arm around her shoulders, hers around his belly, gripping at his waist. She locked both of her legs around one of his. And she could practically hear him smile. _Old habits die hard._

"Night Linny." Tenzin murmured into her hair, and she chuckled.

"Night Tez." She responded, her heart warm. She hadn't called him that for 30 years.

Huddled up against his warm, strong body, Lin's tension and anxiety disappeared completely, Tenzin's sense of a fight nearing likewise, and they both fell asleep in each other's embrace.


	7. Secrets

**A/N: **This is my third attempt at this last prompt, and it's really short and terrible, and it's two days late, and I'm so, so sorry but I've had a horribly rough weekend on a deep personal level, so I hope you can forgive me.

I want to thank each and every one of you who has read this story, and a huge, loving hug to all of you who have taken the time and effort to _review_, I want you all to know how grateful and happy I am over your kind words. They mean a lot to me and brightens my day. I love you all 3

* * *

"I honestly don't know how we did it." Tenzin said with an amused chuckle.

"Hmm?"

Lin had had her nose buried in a novel, and now looked up at Tenzin as his odd words forced her out of her focused bubble, eyebrows elegantly raised in question.

Tenzin shook his head and laughed, and a smile started tugging at the corner of Lin's lips. His extremely good mood was… infectious.

"Well, after we started to see each other when we were young, we were quite innocent. But the older we got, the more urges we had, as you may remember-"

"Still has." Lin said with a smirk, unable to contain herself.

Tenzin smiled and sighed, continuing.

"And we acted upon them. What I meant was; that I don't know how we managed to keep them a secret for a whole year before Bumi discovered." He finished.

Lin shut her book and placed it on the coffee table in front of her sofa. Lin enjoyed the silence, and her book, but she had to admit it was nice talking about their early years together. Leaning back, she removed Tenzin's right hand from her abdomen and started playing with his fingers, his left arm still protectively around her waist.

They had taken temporary residence on her couch, tired after a long day at work and dinner, their cups of tea on the wooden table empty. Lin rested with her back against Tenzin's chest, her legs between his, his arms wrapped around her feminine form. She'd been reading until now, her head on his shoulder, leaning against his neck.

Tenzin had just been thinking, not feeling the need for a distraction, reliving memories and enjoying the feeling of his lover so close, after so many years, instead.

"Well, we were very efficient when those rare moments presented themselves, and careful. Spirits, I don't know how many nights I spent awake in bed, longing for you." she confessed, blood painting her pale cheeks.

She was a little shocked by how her heart started thumping wildly in agreement, and that she _blushed. _Since when had she become so sensitive? It had been three months, but after so many years alone, she guessed it would just take time for her to get used to having a man around again.

"You did?" Tenzin asked.

Lin huffed at the victory in his voice.

"Don't get too full of yourself Baldy." She said, but could barely keep her smile away.

Tenzin chuckled again, kissing her neck, her cheek, her temple and the corner of her mouth before pulling back to bite playfully at her ear, a content sigh leaving Lin.

"I like hearing you say things like that." He whispered, hugging her tighter.

"Mm… But don't get used to it." Lin managed to say through her clouded mind, Tenzin sucking at her neck lightly, knowing exactly what he did to her. "You know I'm not the sentimental one." She finished with a quiet mewl of pleasure, sensing something stiff press against her back.

She could feel Tenzin smile against her skin before his hands wandered in beneath her regular tank top unexpectedly, stroking her firm, well-muscled stomach. An involuntarily shiver ran up Lin's spine and she squirmed a little, completely helpless under Tenzin's stubborn mouth and hands in her position at the moment. For now the only option she had was gripping his thighs with her strong hands, and that she did.

Tenzin's hands moved up from for her abdomen and with sneaky, slender fingers he found a way in through her bindings with a few fingers. When Lin could feel him lightly brush past her nipples, a deep breath left her, heat and pressure starting to build between her legs.

A fleeting thought hit her as Tenzin's hands left chest, grabbing her waist and forcefully pulling her around so they faced each other. Tenzin attacked her mouth with ardency, claiming her lips, dominating her easily as her will weakened under his touch.

He should be getting home to his family before the suspicion started to grow too big; they'd tried so hard to keep their renewed relationship a secret, but as Tenzin's tongue forced her lips apart and explored her mouth, fighting back all her movements, a needy groan escaped her and she gave up. Though she only had admitted it once when they were in their twenties, she loved when he took control, teasing her and making her beg until she was at her breaking point and his hips would slam against her.

His urgency and passion told her this could be an amazing session of love between them, and she was in far too deep to be able to stop him now.


End file.
